Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visited the West Bank city of Jenin Wednesday, for the first time since 2005, following the recent Israeli campaign that devastated the local terrorism infrastructure.
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The visit, which lasted just over an hour, came at a time of seething discontent among Palestinians in the West Bank toward Abbas and the PA. The 87-year-old president is widely seen as out of touch with the public and rarely ventures outside of his Ramallah headquarters.
Video: Security preparations in Jenin ahead of Abbas' arrival (Credit: Arab media)
Abbas arrived in Jenin aboard a Jordanian helicopter on Wednesday afternoon. Thousands clustered around his heavy security detail, and children chased his motorcade as it moved along the streets.
"Jenin camp is the icon of struggle, steadfastness and challenge," said Abbas. He pledged the reconstruction of the camp would begin immediately. "I say to everyone near and far, this country is safe and its authority will remain one... we must get rid of the occupation and we say to them: leave us, we are here to stay."
Abbas's leadership has come under criticism over rampant corruption in the PA and the lack of any progress toward independence. Just 17% of Palestinians are satisfied with Abbas' leadership and 80% want him to resign, according to a Palestinian public opinion poll in June.
US President Joe Biden said in an interview with CNN this week that "the Palestinian Authority has lost its credibility" among Palestinians and has "created a vacuum for extremism" in the West Bank.
Abbas's visit came after a statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office that his government would take steps to strengthen the PA, but gave no specifics about what steps it would take.
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